Singapore's Classiest Afternoon Tea: Fullerton Bay Hotel

The other day, we met a friend for tea in Singapore. To get there, we entered a hotel lobby, walked past the reception desk, down some steps, and found ourselves in a long, corridor-like lounge area enclosed by floor-to-ceiling windows, with a 42 1/2 foot long bar.

Promptly at 3pm, we were led to our table, a low-slung divan wedged around a coffeetable in an intimate corner of the bar. Behind us, stunning waterfront views of the Bay. Above us, a silver-haired gentleman in a tuxedo began tinkling the ivories, while jacketed waiters whizzed by, and more and more folks showed up to rendezvous at the promenade-style bar.

Unknowingly, we had stumbled into one of Singapore's most vital social traditions: Afternoon Tea at the Fullerton Bay Hotel.

The venue itself is Landing Point, the hotel's swanky all-day dining spot. And in addition to its gorgeous surroundings (the paved marble floor and crystal sculptures dangling over the bar really completed the look), we were totally impressed by the service.

Our waiter not only helped us pick out our preferred tea from a menu of around 20 different blends (black, green, herbal, you name it…), but when our tea arrived, he even unscrewed the honey jar, spooned out a little, and stirred it into the cup for us! The only time we even lifted a finger was to drink it.

If we had happened to be in the mood for a cocktail at 3 in the afternoon (not something we generally make a habit of), there would have been plenty of options for that, too, as the bar is filled with endless bottles lined up along the shelves. Thankfully, our appointment was business-related, so tea and a biscuit was plenty.

Afternoon Tea is clearly a thing in lots of hotels, but this may just be the classiest act we've encountered so far. To experience it yourself, show up between 3pm and 5:30pm, though Landing Point is open all day (7am-midnight Sun-Thurs; 7am-1am Fri-Sat).